Sonic of Oz
by Secret-Universe
Summary: Cream and Cosmo get in a twister and stuck in the land of Oz. Can they get back home?
1. Beginning

A warm sunny day, as a young rabbit and flower-girl play in the meadows behind a small house. It is Cream the Rabbit and Cosmo the Seedrian.

"Ah, it's so nice out here. I don't see any reason this weather would change at all." Cosmo spread her arms out, smiling.

Cosmo then noticed Cream picking flowers and walked over to her, "Cream, what are you doing?"

Cream turned, smiled and held up her bundle of flowers, "I'm making flower wreathes for my mommy and Shadow-papa."

"Oh, Shadow's coming?" Cosmo asked.

"Yep, but maybe he'll be nicer to you." Cream said.

"I hope so." Cosmo nodded.

--

Meanwhile, Shadow the Hedgehog skates along down to Vanilla's house where he finds Sonic, Tails and Knuckles in the front yard, cooking up their chilidogs for the lunch.

"Hey, Fake." Shadow greeted.

"Oh. Hey, Shad." Sonic greeted back.

"We got them ready and hot." Knuckles picked up the first chilidog with a long fork-like tool.

"Oh I get the first bite, don't I?" Sonic grinned. Shadow just sighed.

"Forget it, Blue boy, Tails always gets the first." Knuckles smirked.

"Yay!" Tails cheered, taking his chilidog.

"Aw, no fair and after the hard work I just did!" Sonic whined and grabbed Tails, still holding his chilidog, "Tails, you better promise me half of that!"

Shadow sweat-dropped, "Faker can't seem to get the point, can he?"

Knuckles sweat-dropped too. "Not that I'm aware of anyways."

"It's mine first!" Tails yelled.

"I only said half!" Sonic yelled.

Tails thought quickly and stuffed the chilidog in his mouth, leaving Sonic dumbfounded as Tails burped and got out of his grip.

"**MILES!!!**" Sonic ran after Tails, peeved, "YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR THAT BIG TIME!!!"

"Ha ha, you're too slizzo!" Tails laughed.

Knuckles and Shadow just sighed.

--

Later inside, Vanilla was serving tea and biscuits as Shadow, Cream, Cosmo, Tails, Knuckles and Sonic sat on the couches together.

Sonic took his chilidog and snarled, "You're still gonna pay for it, Miles."

"Only if you kiss Amy." Tails grinned.

"Never."

"Say it."

"No way, dude."

"Fine, but I'm still not saying sorry, you know you like Amy Rose."

Sonic only pouted and bit into his chilidog. He stared at Tails and made a face. Tails only smiled to himself.

Cream and Cosmo sat together as Cheese was sitting near Cream, eating a biscuit. Cream and Cosmo looked at each other and giggled. Shadow sat across from them, staring at Cosmo and muttered, "Bet it was fun working as a Metarex."

Cosmo heard this and dropped her biscuit and started coughing. Tails went over and helped Cosmo until she stopped choking. Cosmo took a sip of tea and stared at Shadow, "Why do you always bring this up, Shadow?"

"Clearly, you know you enjoyed working for an enemy, that was about to take over that galaxy." Shadow frowned.

"I never liked the Metarex and besides..." Shadow cut Cosmo off, "Just admit, the rest of us would be happier if you had just left."

"Shadow!" Knuckles and Sonic yelled.

Tails gasped and said, "Hey!"

Cosmo looked down sadly and dropped her tea cup. Cream, Tails and Shadow see Cosmo crying and she ran out the front door.

Cream began to get upset and she turned to Shadow, "Why did you say that, Shadow-papa?! Cosmo felt really bad because she was worried she couldn't be anyone's best friend anymore! You should've told her the reason in the first place why you wanted to get rid of her!"

"Hey, she deserved being unhappy from what I know!" Shadow said.

"THEN MISS MARIA DESERVED HER DEATH, DIDN'T SHE?!" Cream yelled.

Shadow gasped silently.

"Cream..." Vanilla said but Cream went out the front door with Cheese following her.

"Cosmo! Cosmo!" Cream was calling, following her friend.

Vanilla sighed as Tails glared at Shadow and Knuckles and Sonic looked down.

"What?" Shadow asked.

"You know why!" Tails said, angrily.

"And besides, she hardly did anything to you, she ended up saving the galaxy right?" Knuckles said.

"I can't believe it, I try taking down a spy and you all turn against me." Shadow frowned.

Sonic grabbed his chilidog and spoke, "Maybe you should've thought better, maybe like asking if anyone ELSE wanted her gone, not just you." He then took another bite and a small low sound was heard.

"Ew, Sonic!" Knuckles held his nose.

"Gross!" Tails whined, holding his mouth.

"That is nasty." Shadow glared, fanning away the smell.

Sonic blushed and pouted, "Oh shush about it. It wasn't even me!"


	2. The Twister

Cosmo was still running down the pathway but she stopped, crying silently.

"Cosmo?"

Cosmo turned to see Cream and Cheese, running to her, "Cosmo!"

"Cream, what are you doing out here?" Cosmo asked.

"I hope you aren't too unhappy." Cream said, "Shadow-papa didn't mean to say that."

"Try talking to him when he was on the attack then." Cosmo said.

"But he knows it was a mistake. He should know because he went through the same thing with Miss Maria." Cream said.

"He's right, Cream." Cosmo bowed her head sadly, "Maybe they would be happy if I just left."

"Tails wouldn't ever be happy without you because he cares too!" Cream sighed, "But if you want time away from the others, I don't mind joining you and neither would Cheese."

"Chao-chao!" Cheese agreed.

Cosmo smiled and huggled them, "Thank you, guys."

As they started to walk on, Cream noticed a familiar purple cat and a white hedgehog by the road.

"Mr. Silver! Mrs. Blaze!" Cream ran to them as Cosmo followed.

"Cream, what brings you and your friend out here?" Blaze asked.

"Cosmo's upset about an argument with Shadow-papa and we are just taking some time alone." Cream explained.

"I'm just a little sad, Princess Blaze." Cosmo added.

"Blaze, maybe I can help with this." Silver put in.

"If you think you can..." Blaze asked.

"I'm sure about this, look." Silver put his hands flat as a green misty ball appeared in his hands and as Cream, Cosmo, Cheese and Blaze looked on, they saw a small image of Vanilla's house.

"That's my home." Cream said.

"Yeah, it is." Silver looked closer, "And I'm seeing some figures... one like a tall rabbit and a black hedgehog..."

"Shadow and Vanilla." Cosmo spoke.

"Yes, it's them." Blaze nodded.

"But..." Cream squinted, "What are they doing?"

"I can't see clearly but... it looks like she's hugging him and he's..." Silver paused, confused himself, "He's kind of crying. Someone's hurt him..."

"I did, because I was just standing up for Cosmo and-and I said Miss Maria deserved to die." Cream spoke, sadly.

"Cream..." Cosmo said sadly.

"I didn't mean it; I didn't mean to say that to Shadow-papa..." Cream whimpered as Blaze hugged her.

"Now we see the problem, right, Silver?" Blaze asked.

"Yeah, Bl-!" Silver suddenly startled, "Wait, wait!"

"What?" Blaze looked with him at the image.

"What is it, Silver?" Cosmo asked, worried by his face.

"I just... I just saw Shadow, he... he's fainted!" Silver said, "Vanilla's trying to... but he isn't waking up!"

"Shadow-papa!" Cream cried.

"Oh, it's gone..." The green ball of mist disappeared from Silver's hands.

Cream suddenly stood up, "Cosmo, even if he said things about you, we can't leave him like this!"

"Even if so, I'm going with you." Cosmo got up too.

"Girls, wait, the weather seems to be..." Blaze looked worried as the clouds grew darker.

"We can't stay longer, Mrs. Blaze. I'm sorry." Cream and Cosmo ran down the path back home, "Goodbye, Mrs. Blaze! And thank you, Mr. Silver!"

"Thanks so much!" Cosmo called back too.

"Silver, we have to go now!" Blaze said, staring at the clouds as strong winds blew harder.

"Right, Blaze!" Silver looked after Cosmo and Cream, "I hope the girls will be okay, this weather's getting crazy."

--

Back at the house, there indeed was trouble heading its way towards it: _**A GIANT TORNADO.**_ Tails flew down to get to ground as Knuckles ran up.

"Get everyone to shelter as fast as you can!" Tails yelled over the screeching wind.

"I'm already on it, Tails!" Knuckles looked around wildly, "Sonic?! SONIC?! Darn it, Sonic!"

"Right here!" Sonic dashed over, "We have to get underground now!"

Tails then realized something in shock and horror, "...COSMO! WHERE'S COSMO?!"

"Tails, come back!" Sonic shouted but the little fox already flew off.

--

Out on the front porch, Vanilla and Shadow, still a little dizzy, were searching for someone else too.

"Cream, dear!" Vanilla cried, deeply worried for the young child.

Shadow dashed out farther, "Cream, where are you?!"

--

Not too far off, Cream, Cosmo and Cheese could see the house a few yards away.

"Hurry, we have to get to the shelter!" Cream cried.

"I'm coming!" Cosmo yelled.

--

"Let me go! I have to find her!" Tails cried as Sonic had grabbed the squirming fox in his arms.

"We can't right now, I'm sorry Tails!" Sonic shouted.

"Let's go!" Knuckles hollered.

--

Cream and Cosmo tried to head up the path, dodging anything the wind tossed at them. Cheese dropped to the ground as Cream held him tight and followed Cosmo.

--

"We can't find Cream!" Vanilla cried, as they reached the shelter.

"No signs of Cosmo, either. They're somewhere in the storm!" Tails cried.

"We have to go now, Miles!" Sonic shouted, opening the door as the others followed.

"I'm not leaving without Cream!" Shadow argued but he felt dizzy again, and Sonic and Knuckles grabbed him and pulled him inside.

"Come on, Shadow, get a hold of yourself." Sonic said.

"Please let Cosmo be okay and Cream too." Tails begged quietly.

--

"Mommy!" Cream cried, running for the shelter but the door had already been locked, "Mommy!"

"Tails!" Cosmo banged on the door but they couldn't be heard, "Tails, please! It's me, Cosmo!"

"And Cream!" Cream hit the door harder, "Mommy! Shadow-papa!"

"Chao!" Cheese pointed to the huge twister heading right their way. Thinking quickly, Cream took Cheese and Cosmo and leads them inside the house to the basement.

"Cream, we're trapped!" Cosmo yelled.

"I'm frightened, I want Mommy!" Cream whimpered.

"Anyone-!" Cosmo didn't think to dodge as a piece of board broke off the wall, and hit her hard in the back of her head, "AAHH!"

"Cosmo-AH!" Cream suddenly got hit too by another piece of wood and she, along with Cosmo, passed out as Cheese flew over them crying, "Chao-chao! Chao-chao!"

Blackness had already closed in on them...


	3. The Garden of Chaos

After what seemed a very long time, light peaked in through the windows and the house had stopped moving.

"Cosmo...?"

"Cr-Cream?" Cosmo slowly sat up, awoken by the rabbit and her Chao. "We're alive?"

"Very." Cream said.

"Chao." Cheese agreed.

Cosmo then got up and headed upstairs with Cream and Cheese following her.

Cream looked scared, "Where is everyone?"

"I don't know, but it's so quiet." Cosmo added.

"Chao!" Cheese flew ahead of them for the front door and Cream went to him as Cosmo followed her.

"Be careful, we might not know what's out there." Cosmo spoke, worried about what big mess would make Vanilla exhausted or something.

Cream nodded and slowly opened the door... only to gape her mouth open. Cosmo looked at what Cream saw and did the same. No longer a nice quite front yard with the picket fence, but instead, a whole meadow, covered in golden and silver flowers with tiny little homes and trees that grew apples everywhere. The sun's golden rays of light shown off a small lake, which shimmered.

Both amazed and nervous, Cream and Cosmo stepped outside looking around as Cheese followed nearby Cream. Butterflies and birds flittered around as the two girls reached an edge of a snow-white garden of silver roses.

"Cream?"

"Yes, Cosmo?"

Cosmo stared up at the sky, "Do you have the feeling we aren't in Mobius anymore?"

Cream nodded as, unknown to them, little pairs of eyes peeked out and then ducked into their hiding places. Only Cheese seemed to notice, "Chao?"

"It's like from a song mommy sang." Cream then smiled, "We must be over the Rainbow!"

"From the feeling of it, it must be." Cosmo agreed.

Then something behind them glowed a bright green and both Cosmo and Cream backed away, with Cream hugging Cheese. A figure appeared in the light and the light slowly died down the reveal the figure. He looked like a black hedgehog with red markings on his quills, arms, and around his eyes, which were also red, a brown muzzle and he wore a red shirt with a Musketeer symbol, a long blue cape, tan gloves, tan pants, brown boots and a brown hat with a red feather. He even carried a long thin sword.

"Well, at least we know we aren't in Mobius." Cosmo whispered to Cream, who nodded.

The Musketeer slowly approached them as the girls looked nervous that he might harm them but he then asked softly, "Are you a good witch or bad witch?"

Cosmo looked confused and looked behind her. Seeing no one, she pointed to herself, "Me?"

He nodded.

"No sir, I'm no witch at all. I'm Cosmo the Seedrian, from Mobius, sir."

"Ah..." He then gestured to Cream, "But is she the witch?"

"No, sir. My name's Cream the Rabbit." She turned to Cheese, "And this is my very good friend, Cheese the Chao."

The Musketeer sighed, "I must be muddled again, I have been alerted of a large house having to been dropped on the wicked Witchling of the East." He turned to the house Cream and Cosmo came out of as the girls gasped at something they haven't before noticed; two hands stuck out with golden bracelets around the wrists.

"That is yours, isn't it?" The Musketeer asked.

"Well, mostly it's my home, sir." Cream answered.

"Which is why I must know if you're good witches or bad witches?"

Cosmo looked confused, "But we told you, we aren't witches at all."

"And besides, witches and wizards are old and ugly." Cream added. They then heard giggling.

"What was that?" Cosmo asked.

"The other Chaos, they're only laughing about this theory of witches and wizards because..." He bowed to them, "I am the Musketeer Wizard of the North."

"YOU ARE?!" They cried, bewildered.

Cream quickly bowed in apology, "I beg your pardon, s-sir, it's just... we didn't know that you were..."

"No offence has been taken." The Musketeer assured, standing back up, "The Chaos are just glad to be free at last, because of your heroine work."

"Oh... so, there's other Chaos?" Cream asked.

"Chao-chao-chao?" Cheese asked.

"There are many like your little friend here, this is the last of the Garden of Chaos." He gestured as little groups of shy and curious Chaos came out and Cosmo and Cream looked on, "It's okay, they only want to thank you for what you've done."

"Okay." Cosmo knelt down to pet one and she smiled as it licked her hand.

"They are so very happy." Cream smiled, standing near the Musketeer.

"They've been prisoner for a long time, so it's happiness for them." He nodded. He then noticed Cream staring at him, "Does something trouble you, child?"

"No sir but..." Cream looked away, "You remind me of somebody.... someone who became my papa."

The Musketeer just nodded silently as Cosmo came back to them.

"Cream, this place is wonderful." Cosmo smiled.

"It is, even Cheese has made some friends." Cream pointed to Cheese playing with other Chaos.

"Yes, they really are glad to be so..." The Musketeer looked up oddly and noticed some sort of greenish-black smoke.

"Maybe it's raining." Cosmo said.

"No, it's not rain..." He looked harder and glared, "Not him now."

"Not who now?" Cream asked.

"Chao!" The frightened Chaos floated off for hiding places.

"Chao-chao?" Cheese asked, confused but worried.

Suddenly, green fire rises out of the ground as a smoke-like figure comes out, scaring the Chaos, Cheese, Cream and Cosmo as Cheese flew back to Cream. The figure revealed to be another black hedgehog but with blue-gray markings on his arms, legs, quills and around his green snake eyes, and he only had on a long purple tipped hat, a long purple cape held by three green gems, a green vial he wore around his beck and he carried a long gold staff with a green orb on it. Cosmo and Cream froze in fright as the smoky figure walked slowly towards the house.

"_But didn't you say...?_" Cosmo asked, nervously.

The Musketeer knelt down to them, whispering, "_I said the Witchling was dead, but he's the Dark Wizard of the West, a giant in the world of madness._"

"_Madness?_" Cream asked, before he shushed her.

"Who killed my baby sister?" The Dark-Wizard growled, walking up to them, "Who murdered the Witchling of the East?" He pointed angrily at Cosmo and Cream, "WAS IT YOU OR YOU!?"

"No, sir, it was an accident!" Cosmo said.

"We would never kill anyone!" Cream pleaded.

"Fine then, I can cause accidents too!" The Dark-Wizard lifted his staff before the Musketeer interrupted him, "Are you sure you aren't forgetting your bracelets, little brother?"

"Brother?" Cosmo and Cream looked surprised.

"Ah, yes, my bracelets..." He went back to the house but then, the bracelets glowed and vanished as did the hands, which melted away.

"They're gone, the golden bracelets!" He ran back to them, growling, "What have you done! You give them back or I will...!"

"Sorry, too late. They are now where they will stay." The Musketeer then took Cream's right hand and Cosmo's left hand as the girls gasped; somehow they both got a single golden bracelet on their wrists.

"Give me back those bracelets." The Dark-Wizard snarled, "I've always known how to use them, they won't be any use to you little brats." They didn't budge, "Give them back."

"Keep a tight grip on these bracelets." Musketeer whispered to Cosmo, "Their magic is more powerful then what you'll expect."

"Keep out of this, older brother, or I can fix you up as well!" D-W growled, raising his staff.

Musketeer just grinned, "No luck around here, you know you can't have power in the Garden of Chaos. Now be gone, or otherwise The White House will fall on you."

"What, where?!" D-W Looked up panicked and then frowned as Musketeer smirked, "That never gets old."

"Fine, I'll be bidding my own time." The D-W glared a warning look at Cosmo and Cream, "As for you two little girls, true that I can't use my abilities in the Garden of Chaos, but just TRY staying out of my way, you just try. I'll will get you, little plant girl, and your little rabbit and chao friend too."

"Chao-chao!" Cheese called as the Dark Wizard chuckled in a dark evil tone, scaring all the Chaos before disappearing in his greenish-black cloud of smoke. Cosmo and Cream tried to recover from this, still shaking.

"It's okay now, you can come out, he's gone." The Musketeer called to the Chaos as they slowly emerged from their hiding spots, "It's okay, come on."

"He is so dreadful." Cosmo said, at last after being silent.

"This is why you must leave as soon as you girls can." Musketeer said to them, with a stern but concern look.

"But... which is our way back to Mobius?" Cream asked, "We can't go the way we came here."

"I'm afraid not, but you both have such a long journey. You must have yourselves a head start of the Silver Palace, where you'll find the mighty one himself: The Wizard of Oz."

"Chao..." The Chaos 'ooed' as this.

"Chao?" Cheese asked.

"Wizard of Oz..." Cosmo then asked, "But is he good or wicked?"

"Very good, but yet very mysterious." The Musketeer said, "No one has ever been able to see his true face over the years. Did either of you bring a broomstick?" He then asked.

"No, we didn't, sir." Cream shook her head.

"Then you'll have to walk there, but remember..." He knelt down to Cream and Cosmo, "Never let those bracelets leave your sight or you'll find yourselves in the clutches in the hands of the Dark Wizard." He then gave his special kiss of Protection on Cosmo's forehead and then Cream's, as she blushed for an odd reason but didn't know why.

"So... how do we start for the Silver Palace?" Cosmo asked.

"It's always best to start at the beginning and all you do..." He pointed to a bright green path, "...is follow the Green Emerald Road."

Cosmo took Cream's hand as Cream hugged Cheese and they began starting off a little, but something came to Cream's mind and she turned back to the Musketeer, as Cosmo looked at her.

"But, what happens if we...?" Cream was looking worried.

"Just follow the Green Emerald Road..." And with that spoken, the Musketeer glowed the same bright green and vanished as the Chaos were waving goodbye to their friend and guardian.

"...Goodness, people come and go so quickly around here." Cosmo said, and the Chaos giggled.

"He really does remind me of someone who became my papa." Cream said, knowing the Musketeer looked VERY familiar but she just couldn't think of the name.

"Come on, Cream." Cosmo took Cream's hand again and they went down the path, leaving the Garden of Chaos as Cheese followed, waving a goodbye to his friends, as they waved back.


	4. ScareFox

A while later on, Cream, Cosmo and Cheese still continued their way down the Green Emerald Road, and they were passing a small farm which had a huge field of corn.

"Follow the road... follow the road..." Cosmo stopped, seeing the path split into two different directions, "Oh dear."

"Well, which way do we go now, Cosmo?" Cream asked.

"Chao?" Cheese asked.

"I'm not sure, Cream..." Cosmo looked down both paths, "Which one should we take?"

"Excuse me, but the first way seems safe."

Cosmo and Cream jolted turning to the voice but saw no one. No one that is, except a scarecrow in the corn field. Odd thing was, the scarecrow looked more like a yellow-orange fox that had bright baby-blue eyes, a white muzzle, two tails and he had on a brown hat with straw sticking out, a white long-sleeved shirt underneath a brown vest and gray old pants. He was pointing to the right.

"...Who just said that?" Cosmo asked, looking for the source of the person who spoke.

Cheese, looking freaked out; chaoed at the scarecrow fox, assuming something strange about the figure that stared blankly.

"It's okay, Cheese." Cream held him back, "You know that Scarecrows can't talk..."

"Or this way does nicely too."

The girls looked back at the scarecrow, who was oddly pointing to the left now.

"...or move." Cream finished, looking spooked.

"Wait a second; wasn't he pointing the other way?" Cosmo kept a close eye on the scarecrow...

"Otherwise, people can take both ways!" The scarecrow fox this time pointed with both arms down the two different paths, not even seeing he had been caught.

"It was you!" Cosmo pointed at him, walking up, "It was you who spoke, right?"

"Yes!" He suddenly shook his head, "No! Maybe!"

"Are you doing that to make fun of us, or can't you make up your mind?" Cream asked, walking up behind Cosmo with Cheese behind her.

The scarecrow fox sighed, "That's just the trouble, I can never make up my mind." He lifted a hand, "I haven't even got a brain. Only straw and fox fur. See?" He lifted his hat a little to prove his point.

"How can you talk if you have no brain?" Cosmo wanted to know.

The scarecrow fox seemed to pause and sighed, "I have no idea, but some people are known to do a lot of talking without brains, aren't they?"

"I suppose so..." Cosmo the smiled, "Well, we haven't met properly, have we now?"

"Not that I know, which I really don't." The scarecrow fox grinned.

Cosmo giggled, "I'm Cosmo."

"I'm Cream." Cream bowed, "This is Cheese."

"Chao-chao." Cheese nodded.

"I... don't have a name." The scarecrow fox frowned.

"You don't?" Cosmo asked.

"Nope."

"But what are you called by then?"

"Well, to be honest, people call me Scare-Fox." He said.

"Hello, Scare-Fox." Cosmo bowed.

"Hello, Cosmo and Cream." Scare-Fox nodded his head.

"How are you doing?" Cream added.

"Not very well." Scare-Fox groaned as he tried to reach behind him, "If only they did something rather then stick a stubborn pole up my back."

"Oh, that must be uncomfortable." Cosmo said, concerned.

"Can't you get down?" Cream asked.

"I wish I could, it's just so hard and..." Scare-Fox tried to reach behind him again.

"Oh, I can help." Cream said and stepped behind the pole.

"Gee, thanks." Scare-Fox smiled.

Cream looked but she then asked, "I don't think I can do this..."

Cosmo joined her and looked too, "So where do we...?"

"I may not be the brightest about doing these things. But if one of you just bent that nail in the back, I might slip off and..." He gestured to a long nail.

"I've got this." Cosmo pulled and at that same moment, Scare-Fox fell to the ground, laughing a bit as he gripped some hay that slipped out, "Some of me fell out again."

"Doesn't that hurt?" Cream asked.

"Nah, I just keep putting it back in again. Man, it's feels good to- WHOA!" Tripping over one of his tails, Scare-Fox tumbled to the side of the road as Cream and Cosmo joined him, helping him back up.

"Sorry, I must be new at this." Scare-Fox said.

"We are always new at certain things." Cosmo then sighed, "I'm sorry but we aren't really from around here, my friend and I came from Mobius."

"Mobius?" Scare-Fox asked, "Where's that?"

"It's where we live, and we're both going to the Silver Palace to find help from the Wizard of Oz." Cream nodded.

"You girls are seeing a wizard?" Scare-Fox asked.

"Yes, but if you wanted you could join us, and he could give you the brains you really need." Cosmo said.

Scare-Fox looked down, "I'm not sure exactly..."

"I don't know, Cosmo." Cream said, "We have the Dark Wizard on our trail and Scare-Fox might get in trouble."

"D-W?" Scare-Fox scoffed, "I ain't afraid of D-W. I ain't afraid of anything...well, except lighted matches." He pointed to his fur.

"I don't blame you for it." Cosmo said.

"I don't either." Cream added.

"Chao!" Cheese nodded.

"Well, I might as well face a box of them for getting the chance of brains." Scare-Crow looked at Cosmo and Cream, "Listen, I won't try to be much help cause I can't think, and I won't be so much trouble due to I can't sleep or eat." He then asked, "Please, can you both take me with you?"

Cosmo and Cream looked at each other nodded and smiled as Cosmo spoke, "Yes, we can."

"Yay!" Scare-Fox jumped up, "We're off to see a Wizard!" He almost stumbled but the girls caught him.

"You're not starting off very well." Cream said.

"It's okay, I can handle it." Scare-Fox said, "To Oz?"

"To Oz!" Cosmo and Cream giggled.

And soon, the trio was heading down the right path of the Green Emerald Road to the Silver Palace of Oz.


	5. TinHog

Later on down the Green Emerald Road, Cosmo, Cream and their new friend, Scare-Fox are walking along, passing a small bundle of large trees. Unknown to them, the Dark-Wizard slinks off in the shadows.

"Oh, apples!" Cream smiled.

"I am getting a little hungry." Cosmo followed Cream and so did Scare-Fox and Cheese, as the young rabbit reached the first tree and began to pluck an apple... until a branch hit her hand.

"Ouch!" Cream squeaked in pain.

"What do you think you're doing?" The tree demanded.

"Please, my friend here was hungry and so..." Cosmo blinked, "Did you just speak?"

"She was hungry!" The tree laughed.

"Hey, how do you think it feels having someone pluck stuff out of you?" A second tree asked, annoyed.

"Oh dear, I keep forgetting we're not in Mobius." Cream said.

Scare-Fox gave the trees a glare, "Let's go, girls. We don't need any of those apples."

"Huh?" Cream and Cosmo stared at him.

"Are you saying my apples aren't what they have to be?" The first tree grumbled.

"Oh no sir..." Scare-Fox then said, "It's just that no one likes little green worms!"

"Why you little-!" The tree grabbed for them, as Cream and Cosmo ran but Scare-Fox fought him off and joined the girls.

"I'll show you how to get apples." He winked and then said, making a face, "Hey, your mother was a fat old wardrobe!"

That did it as the tree plucked an apple and hurled it at Scare-Fox as he stumbled, but he called, "And your dad was a lousy pencil!"

"Shut up!" The trees kept throwing their apples as Cream, Cheese, Cosmo and Scare-Fox picked most of them, still running.

"I guess that did it, help yourselves." Scare-Fox picked a few apples himself.

Cream giggled as Cheese followed her to get more of the thrown apples. Cheese found one nearby something that looked like metal and picked the apple but almost hit the tin.

"Chao." Cheese whimpered.

"Cheese, are you...?" Cream paused, seeing the metal object that Cheese spotted. She moved the bushes, seeing a foot and she moved them completely apart. She paused, seeing a hedgehog made entirely out of metal tin, holding an ax and had a green gaze, which stared into space.

"It's a man..." Cream called to Cosmo and Scare-Fox, "A man made of tin!"

"What?" Cosmo ran up to her.

"It is." Scare-Fox walked over as they examined the metal animal.

"_Oy con_..."

They stared at the hedgehog, hearing it murmur, "_Oy con_..."

"Did he say something?" Cosmo asked.

"_Oy con!_" The stiff hedgehog repeated.

"He said oil can." Cream said.

"Oil can what?" Scare-Fox asked, thinking he made a joke.

"Oil can..." Cosmo then spotted a small cup with a handle and a spout, "Here it is." Cosmo picked it up and asked the hedgehog, "Where should I first...?"

"_Mi moth. Mi moth!_" The hedgehog murmured.

"He says his mouth." Scare-Fox took the oil can, spraying it onto the hedgehog's metal muzzle. "Here, give him some." Scare-Fox handed to Cosmo, who also sprayed a bit on the mouth of the hedgehog. There was squeaking as the hedgehog blinked and started breathing.

"W-Way... way past cool, I can talk again!" The hedgehog grinned and then asked, "Uh, can you do the arms too please?"

Cosmo sprayed it on and the ax the hedgehog held suddenly swung downward, hitting the ground.

"Ow!" The hedgehog groaned.

"Does it hurt?" Cream asked.

"Nah, I've held that ax up for years." The hedgehog then said, 'The name's Tin-Hog."

"I'm Scare-Fox."

"I'm Cream."

"Chao-Chao."

"And he's Cheese." Cream smiled.

"I am Cosmo." She then asked, "How long have you been like this?"

"I can't remember when but I do know I was just chopping down some old oaks and suddenly, it starts raining, and in the middle of my last chop..." Tin-Hog smiled sheepishly, "I sort of rusted. Been that way for many months."

"Well, you're perfect now." Cream said.

"Uh, perfect?" Tin-Hog groaned, "If you think I'm perfect, hit my chest."

Cream, Cosmo, and Scare-Fox stared at him.

"No go ahead, hit it." Tin-Hog insisted.

Cosmo gave a little hit and they heard echoing. It went silent.

"Cool, do 'Shave and a haircut'!" Scare-Fox grinned.

Tin-Hog gave him a look, "You dummy, it's empty." He sighed, "My tin-smith forgot to give me a heart..."

"No heart?!" Cream, Cosmo and Scare-Fox gasped.

"Chao-chao?!" Cheese gasped.

"Mm-hmm, no heart...I'm all hollow..." Tin-Hog hit his chest again and suddenly went stumbling backwards but he collapsed as Cosmo, Cream and Scare-Fox came up to him.

"You alright?" Cosmo asked.

"Yeah, just a little dent but no biggie." Tin-Hog spoke.

"Well, Mr. Tin-Hog..." Cream helped him up as she said, "Maybe you should come with us to see if the Wizard of OZ can give you a heart."

"Hey, it's not like he'll give me one by the time we get there." Tin-Hog sighed sadly.

"But he must." Cosmo sighed, "We came such a long way already."

"Actually..." Tin-Hog was cut off as evil laughter was heard and he, Scare-Fox, Cream and Cosmo saw on top of a roof of a little house, was the Dark Wizard!

"You call THAT long? You wimps have just begun!" D-W noticed Scare-Fox and Tin-Hog, "Helping the little bratlings along, are you, boys?"

"Yeah, that a problem?" Scare-Fox yelled, angrily.

"You bet it is, so STAY AWAY FROM THEM or I can stuff your puny fox fur into my fireplace!" D-W growled.

Scare-Fox gulped as Tin-Hog sighed, "Is that the best warning you can make?"

"And you? I can use you for a good beehive." D-W smirked evilly.

Tin-Hog sweat dropped, "Okay then..."

"Well then, scare-fox, how about a little ball?" D-W's hand glowed with a fireball and he hurled it at the group, as they yelled in panic. Scare-Fox screamed as he fell over, Cosmo went to him to calm him down, Cream and Cheese just stood there frightened and Tin-Hog used one of his quills to put the fire out quickly. Dark Wizard just laughed and disappeared from out of their sight.

"He's still scary." Cream said.

"We have to get to the Silver Palace as soon as we can." Cosmo said, holding Scare-Fox's hand tightly as the fox relaxed.

"You guys okay?" Tin-Hog asked.

"Yeah, I'll be good. I still will help you girls get to the Silver Palace, even if I don't get a brain." Scare-Fox glared at the spot where Dark Wizard was, "Use me in a fireplace, as if!"

"I'll do the same for you, even if I don't get a heart. Yeah right, beehive." Tin-Hog muttered, "Let him try to make a beehive out of me!" He clunked his head a bit, "Ouch."

"Aw, you boys are the best friends anyone could have, but yet..." Cosmo paused.

"What is it, Cosmo?" Cream asked.

"It feels like, like we've known Scare-Fox and Tin-Hog this whole time before..." She stared at the two boys, "But we couldn't have, could we?"

"Chao?" Cheese wondered too.

"Well, you girls weren't around when I had been sewn together, right?" Scare-Fox asked.

"No we weren't." Cream shook her head.

"And I was standing over there rusting for the longest time." Tin-Hog pointed where he had been before.

"I just wish I knew, but... I guess it doesn't matter so much..." Cosmo then smiled, "But at least we know each other now, don't we?"

"Yes, we do." Cream nodded.

"We sure do." Scare-Fox took Cosmo's hand, both of them blushing for some odd reason, "To Oz?"

"To Oz!" Tin-Hog took Cream's hand too.

Finally the four were on their way down the road, with Scare-Fox stumbling but Cosmo held him up.


	6. Echidgon

Another long while later, Tin-Hog, Scare-Fox, Cream, Cheese and Cosmo still continue downward of the Green Emerald path. As they walk on, the woods they approach start to get darker, as voices of wild animals call out.

Cream held onto Cosmo, "I don't like this forest."

"Chao..." Cheese agreed, nervously.

"It is rather scary." Cosmo spoke.

Scare-Fox gulped, "Well, sadly, it's going to get darker before it gets lighter."

Cosmo turned to Tin-Hog, "Do you suppose we might meet any wild animals?"

"Unfortunately, yeah." Tin-Hog nodded, regretfully.

"Animals that eat st-straw?" Scare-Fox asked in a shaking voice.

"Some, but mostly lions, tigers and bears."

"Lions?" Cosmo and Cream asked.

"And tigers?" Scare-Fox wondered.

"And bears." Tin-Hog finished.

"Oh my..." Cosmo then walked ahead as the others followed her. Unknown to them, a figure is in the shadows, growling. It vanished nearby a tree and smirked. Pushing the tree, it came down blocking the path as Cosmo, Cream, Scare-Fox and Tin-Hog see this.

"Look, someone is in the shadows!" Cosmo pointed at the figure as it disappeared.

"Hey, who was he?" Scare-Fox asked, "There he goes!"

"Stay back, it's somewhere nearby here." Tin-Hog grabbed his ax, walking ahead. He looked at some crows as they fluttered somewhere. Cream suddenly jolted and turned the other way.

"Cream?" Cosmo asked.

Cream shushed her as Tin-Hog and Scare-Fox looked too, hearing a low growl. Two glowing eyes were staring at them through the bushes as the growling got louder and it started to get closer.

"Everyone, run!" Tin-Hog shouted and they ran, Cosmo and Cream looking back as the growling creature was getting closer but then it leapt upward out of sight.

"Where did it go?" Cosmo asked.

To get her answer as they neared a log which was used for a bridge, something leapt in front of their path, making them stop. It looked like a red creature with a long tan muzzle, violet eyes, dreadlocks that looked like Jamaican braids, a moon mark on his chest, his hands were bare with two spikes around the knuckle area, he had horns in his head, a black rope collar around his neck, and some green vine thing tied around his left leg. What was most surprising that out of his back, grew two huge red dragon wings.

The creature growled as he got ready to pounce, "Leave this jungle now. I don't want to have to fight you intruders but I will if I had to."

"Who says this was your jungle?" Scare-Fox asked, "And besides, we don't have time for you."

"I don't have time for you either, little lousy pillow of horse feed." The creature smirked.

"Just leave us alone, we have to get across." Tin-Hog ordered.

The creature just rolled his eyes, "You don't get it, do you, trashcan boy?"

"Hey!" Tin-Hog looked offended.

"You heard me, shivering junk yard." The creature stood up, "What you four are trespassing through is the Jungle of the almighty Echidgon! Which is me." He added, showing his muscles a little.

"So can we please pass?" Cosmo asked.

"My friend and I must get back home." Cream begged.

"Chao!" Cheese floated up to Echidgon, "Chao-chao-chao!"

"Whatever," Echidgon kicked the little choa, "You and your little marshmallow can't get past me."

Cheese, hearing this, growled as Echidgon looked dumbfounded. That's when Cheese leapt at Echidgon's face, biting as Tin-Hog ran up to fight.

"Get it off, get it off!" Echidgon managed at last to pull off Cheese as he floated back to Cream, as Tin-Hog confronted Echidgon.

"You shouldn't be on here, pal. It can't fit everyone at once." Echidgon said.

"You're just saying that to get rid of us!" Tin-Hog swiped at Echidgon with his ax but Echidgon dodged. At the last moment, Tin-Hog brought his ax down and it dug into the log, as they heard a loud crack.

"Oops." Tin-Hog gulped.

"Yikes." Echidgon murmured.

The log broke, sending both creature and hedgehog downward onto the forest floor. Cream used her ears and flew down with Cosmo, Scare-Fox and Cheese.

"Mr. Tin-Hog!" Cream came up to Tin-Hog as he stood up with Scare-Fox's help but Cosmo looked over at Echidgon, who had his leg trapped underneath the log as he tried to yank it out.

"Cosmo, wait." Tin-Hog called, but Cosmo came closer to Echidgon, who seemed to try and back away from her. He growled to scare her but it didn't work.

"He's hurt..." Cosmo spoke, sadly as she reached out. Echidgon cringed as her hand touched his head but he looked back at her, almost sadly. Scare-Fox and Cream ran up as Scare-Fox took Cosmo's hand from Echidgon.

"Don't!" Scare-Fox said.

Tin-Hog came up, "I bet he's working for the Dark Wizard."

"No, no, no, no! You have me all wrong!" Echidgon was saying, still pulling at his leg, "I'm stuck here."

"Good enough for me." Tin-Hog sighed.

"Tin-Hog!" Cosmo scolded, "He's in pain."

"So what?"

"Listen, mister." Cosmo became firm, "If you really want a heart from the Wizard of Oz, you have to learn to help others."

"Why help him? He's a coward." Tin-Hog said.

"It's true then..." Echidgon sighed, "I have been a coward my whole life, I didn't mean to scare anyone, heck, I only end up scaring myself." He pointed underneath his eyes, "Do you see these circles here? I was unable to sleep for weeks!"

"You tried counting sheep?" Cream asked.

"It doesn't do much good, they freak me out." Echidgon murmured sheepishly.

"Please, Tin-Hog, we have to help him." Cosmo pleaded.

Tin-Hog seemed to think a moment, "Alright, but stand back." He took his ax and placed it on the log as Echidgon cringed, bracing.

"In 3..."

"I can't look." Scare-Fox covered his eyes but made a peak.

"2..."

Echidgon looked away.

"1!" Tin-Hog brought it down as the log split and Echidgon's leg was free and he scrambled backward. "I got it!"

"Good work, Tin-Hog." Scare-Fox said.

"Hold on." Cosmo brought out a long bandage and came over to Echidgon, who was shaking, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, but it's not bleeding is it?" Echidgon asked.

"Not really." Cosmo wrapped it around his leg, "But just take a slow step when walking, that's all. Better to be safe than hurt, I always say."

"Maybe..." Echidgon muttered.

Scare-Fox came up to Cosmo, "Do you think the Wizard can help him too?"

"I don't see why not." Cosmo turned to Echidgon, "So, almighty..."

"Forget 'almighty'; just call me 'Echidgon'." He said.

"Okay, Echidgon, why don't you come with us?" Cosmo asked, "We're on our way to see this Wizard of Oz, to give Tin-Hog a heart..."

"And Scare-Fox a brain." Tin-Hog added.

"And the girls home." Scare-Fox finished.

"We're sure he can give you courage as well." Cream said.

"Chao-chao!" Cheese smiled.

"But wouldn't any of you guys feel embarrassed to be accompanied by a cowardly creature like me?" Echidgon frowned, "I know I would be."

"Of course not." Cosmo patted his head again.

"Actually, it's nice of you guys because no one has ever been nice to me, after all the ways I've been a coward." Echidgon slowly stood up, "Come on, here's a path back up to the road you were following."

He climbed ahead first, and pulled up Tin-Hog, Scare-Fox, Cream, and Cosmo one at a time as they were back on the trail of the Green Emerald Road.

"Okay, now we really must be on our way to the Silver Palace." Cosmo said, smiling.

"And I'll surely get a brain..." Scare-Fox said.

Tin-Hog sighed, "A heart."

"A home/Chao-chao." Cream and Cheese spoke.

"The nerve!" Echidgon made a funny face as he said this, making the others smile and Cosmo and Cream giggle.

Now they were all heading along on their way to find the Silver Palace and the wonderful Wizard of Oz...


End file.
